Kissblocked
by Madj
Summary: Five times Hook and Emma almost kissed … and one time they did. Post season 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Kissblocked

**Summary:** Five times Hook and Emma almost kissed … and one time they did. Post season 2.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters, or these two idiots would be making out constantly. No infringement intended.

* * *

From a purely detached point of view, Hook looked really, really good wet.

Emma brushed a sopping bunch of hair out of her eyes and continued to tread water, trying to determine if the pirate was injured at all. He didn't appear to be hurt. He was the picture of health, really, with strands of his dark hair slicked artistically across his forehead, the flush in his cheeks making his stunning blue eyes stand out even more.

From a detached point of view, of course.

In the 24 hours since they'd landed in the oceans of Neverland, Emma had had to adjust her thinking, for the sake of her own sanity. If everything she'd ever heard about this land wasn't true, if it seemed like every type of creature and plant was as deadly as it was beautiful, if the Lost Boys weren't actually kids and even Peter freaking Pan was a _bad guy_, she was just going to have to push back her expectations and take everything as it came.

"Hope for the best, plan for the worst" had been her motto for many years, and it seemed the less she expected out of Neverland, the better.

Take, for example, the mermaid that somehow leaped out of the water and snatched Hook right off the deck of his ship.

Emma could have wasted time wondering how the fairy tales painted mermaids as beautiful angels of the sea when they were nasty, ugly bitches — the one that grabbed Hook resembled a catfish with a really bad seaweed wig. That, however, wouldn't do a thing to save the man who was her best chance of getting back her son.

So … overboard it was.

She'd thrown herself over the side without much of a thought. And, sadly, without her gun. At least the water was warm — and crystal clear. Once she'd managed to spot them underwater, grab the creature around the neck and pull hard enough to get them back to the surface, the pirate had been freed up enough to stab the thing with his hook a few times until she let go and disappeared.

At least for the moment.

She was about to ask Hook if he was okay when she realized he was speaking.

"Who is Ariel?"

"What?"

"You were yelling at the mermaid," he said, raising an eyebrow. He spoke in an exaggerated girly voice that she figured was supposed to mimic her, "Let go, Ariel!"

"Oh." She huffed out a laugh. She hadn't realized she'd said a word. "It was a fairy tale. 'The Little Mermaid.' She wanted to be human and — What the hell?"

She felt something brush her from behind and all but jumped forward toward Hook. "What the hell was that?" She scanned the water for signs of the mermaid, or one of her merfriends.

Hook laughed and pointed past her face. "Settle down, lass, it's just some driftwood."

"I was afraid that bitch was back for mo—" She turned to face him, stuttering to silence as she realized just how close she was to him now. His eyes were locked on hers, and her belly fluttered as she watched them shift focus down to her mouth. Which was just a breath away from his. In fact, now that she was aware of it, she could feel said breath on her mouth, and she had a near-overwhelming urge to lean forward just a fraction, to touch her lips to his.

"You guys okay?"

Emma jerked back, halfway aware of Hook doing the same, then tilted her head up to see David leaning over the side of the Jolly Roger.

"We're fine!" she called, telling herself that she was relieved, not disappointed, at the rescue.

Maybe there was a part of her, just a small part, that wondered what it would have been like to have his mouth on hers, to know the feeling of being kissed by a pirate.

From a purely detached point of view, of course.


	2. Chapter 2

"Can't sleep, Swan?"

Emma leaned on the railing of the Jolly Roger, staring at the pattern of the moon reflected off the water. She _had_ tried to sleep. Her first night on board, she'd found the motion of the ship to be soothing, lulling her to sleep despite her worries about Henry. But tonight was different.

"Maybe in a bit," she told Hook, keeping her eyes on the water.

She couldn't stop thinking about that almost-kiss. Had it really happened, or was it all in her head?

He'd certainly acted like nothing had changed, throwing his usual smirks and innuendoes her way from the moment they were pulled back up on deck — all without remotely attempting to touch her in any way. In fact, it seemed he was deliberately keeping as much space between them as possible.

It should be a relief. And yet ...

Obviously, this was something they weren't ever going to discuss. Which was totally fine with her, except now that moment kept replaying itself behind her eyes, preventing her from falling asleep. On the bright side, it gave her something to worry about besides Henry, but it was something just hanging there, unresolved, nagging at her.

She never liked unanswered questions, and this one was going to be bugging her for a while.

In contrast to his earlier behavior, Hook moved to her side, crowding into her personal space. He leaned on the railing beside her, his arm touching hers. Two layers of clothing were between them, yet she could almost feel the heat of his skin on hers. She fervently hoped he didn't notice the slight hitch in her breathing before she wrestled it back under control.

Arms touching — but _not actually_ touching — should not be so hot.

_Get a grip on yourself, Emma._

Clearly, it had been way too long since she'd had sex.

Anxious to focus her mind elsewhere, she gestured to the sea. "Should you be standing so close to the edge? What if that mermaid comes back?"

"We've passed their territory," he said. "We're safe here. At least, from mermaids."

"I can't believe she grabbed you off your own ship," she said, laughing a little in disbelief. "What, was she an angry ex-girlfriend or something?"

"Jealous, Swan?"

She glanced over, frowning when she saw him doing that damn eyebrow thing again. "Green with envy," she said, rolling her eyes.

He laughed. "In truth, there may have been a slight … misunderstanding between their leader and myself, regarding a rather rare pearl."

"Misunderstanding? You stole from the mermaids?"

He shrugged. "I _am_ a pirate."

She smiled at that but didn't answer. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, she decided it might be time to head back to bed. With sleep, she reasoned, she'd be back to her normal self tomorrow. She'd had enough of this off-kilter feeling; it was just like being up the damn beanstalk again.

"_Point taken," he'd said, a smile breaking out on his face, the first genuine smile she'd ever seen from him. She blinked, feeling suddenly, embarrassingly warm all over._

She curled her fingers around the side of the ship and took a deep breath.

"I was surprised," he said quietly. She felt herself leaning closer to hear his words. "I didn't imagine that anyone would try to save me."

"You thought I'd let you die?" She grabbed his arm and turned him to face her. "Seriously?"

His eyes met hers, and the intensity in them made her breath rush out in a huff.

"It's been a long time since anyone … cared."

She felt very strongly that her next words were important, yet she wasn't sure what to say. "I … I said you could be part of something. I meant it. We're in this together."

"Together," he repeated seriously, looking almost … touched at the sentiment before his demeanor did a complete and deliberate turnaround. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Hook that they understood each other, so she wasn't surprised a bit at the sudden return of Captain Innuendo. "Oh, lass," he almost purred. "I do like the sound of that."

"Stop being a perv, Hook," she said mildly, glad to be back in familiar territory with him. "You know what I meant."

"I think I do," he said, smirking at her again.

"I should have let that mermaid drown you. You're so annoying."

"And yet, you want to kiss me."

She froze, nearly forgetting to breathe. She really, really didn't want to look at his face, but she couldn't stop herself. The smirk was still there, but his eyes were completely serious.

Dammit, he'd lulled her into a false sense of security before springing that on her. Infuriating, untrustworthy pirate.

When she didn't answer, he edged closer. "Don't you?"

"I … no."

"No?"

"No."

Then his hand was on her face, his lips nearly on hers. "Princesses shouldn't tell lies," he whispered, and damn if every thought didn't go right out of her mind.

Every thought but one.

"Hook —"

"I thought I was the only one who couldn't sleep!" Mary Margaret chirped, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her daughter was a second away from having a pirate's tongue in her mouth.

Hook sighed and stepped back, slowly trailing his fingers off her face, making her shiver. He kept his eyes on her for a long moment before turning to her mother. "Your Majesty."

"Captain."

He turned back to Emma and nodded with a half smile. "Swan. Pleasant dreams."

Emma nodded. She wanted to throw some sarcastic comment his way, but words were pretty much beyond her at the moment. As he disappeared she returned her gaze to the water, hands gripping the ship's side again.

She said nothing as Mary Margaret took Hook's place beside her.

After a long moment of silence, her mother spoke. "So …"

"Don't." Emma said shortly. "Just please don't."

She knew Mary Margaret had seen everything. She didn't know if her mother would approve or disapprove, and she wasn't even sure which parental reaction she would prefer. She just knew she didn't want to think about it anymore right now.

"Okay," Mary Margaret said softly, curling her arm around her daughter's. "But just so you know, I'm ready to give you the 'birds and the bees' talk any time now."

Emma snorted, bumping her hip against her mother's. "Do you think David is ready to give Hook that talk?"

They both lost it then, filling a quiet Neverland night with laughter.

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks so much for the reviews, favorites and follows, folks! I appreciate them so much. :) Part 4 is being kind of a pain, but I hope to have it up soon, too. These two just want to make out so much, it's mean to keep them apart, but that's how I roll. LOL.**

* * *

"The sea is like a lover, Swan," he said in her ear, and Emma instantly broke out in goosebumps at the feel of his breath on her skin. "You must be attentive to her moods, anticipate her ways, settle yourself into her rhythm."

_Holy shit._

She was really afraid her body was going to spontaneously combust, and he wasn't even actually touching her. He was just standing right freaking behind her at the ship's helm, whispering his cheesy innuendoes in her ear.

Somehow, they didn't sound quite so ridiculous at such close range. Lord knows, her body was responding in embarrassing ways, and Emma wondered when the hell she'd turned back into some horny teenager.

Though, honestly, she couldn't say anyone had ever affected her quite this much, especially without even laying a hand on her.

What part of this had seemed like a good idea to her? Oh, that's right, it hadn't. It had seemed like a dare. _"Unless you don't think you can handle her, darling?"_

She licked her lips and forced herself to breathe evenly. She knew she needed to come up with a distraction before he started talking about finding the sea's g-spot or something, and she cast about for a topic before landing on an obvious one.

"You taught Neal how to sail your ship?"

The pirate went still behind her. "Aye."

She twisted slightly, hands still on the wheel, to look at him. Her stomach clenched at the expression on his face, almost sad. A look of loss.

She was nearly as uncomfortable as he was with sentiment, so she quickly tried to lighten the mood. "Did you teach him like this?" she asked, deliberately bumping her body back into his.

He laughed then, and she felt it throughout her body. "Oh, no, darling. Bae was a natural," he said. "I need to give you some ... extra attention."

She felt like she should be insulted, but that was hard when her mind was busy conjuring images of what kind of 'extra attention' he could be giving her. She jolted when she felt his hand guide hers back to the wheel. "Keep focused, love," he scolded her.

She turned her attention front again, but now he was pressed all the way against her from behind, with his hand still over hers on the wheel. How the hell was she supposed to focus on anything?

_Henry. Think about Henry._

"Neal let Henry steer," she said softly, smiling at the memory of how happy the kid was. "When we, um, borrowed your ship."

She expected him to make some crack about them taking his ship, but he surprised her. "We'll find him, Emma."

She twisted around again, eyes wide.

"We'll find Henry," he said solemnly. "We'll be near the Lost Ones' territory by dawn, and I'm sure that's where we'll find him."

She nodded. "We're going to have to fight," she said.

"Aye."

"I just want you to know, I'm grateful you're helping us," she said.

"You, Swan. I'm helping _you_."

She smiled faintly. Almost of their own accord, her hands left the ship's wheel and slid up the front of his vest to his shoulders. She was a grown woman, and if she wanted to kiss a damn pirate, she would —

She groaned and pulled back as she saw Regina storming toward them. "Gold wants you down below," the queen snapped. "He has some ideas of how we can get Henry back. If you're not too busy flirting to care about my son."

Emma grit her teeth as her hands pulled into fists. "Coming," she said evenly, forcing herself to hold her temper. She knew Regina was just worried about Henry, and the queen didn't have the benefit of a seductive pirate to distract her.

"Your. Bloody. Family," Hook growled.

She chuckled and pulled away, doing her best to ignore Regina, who was standing with arms crossed, glaring at the two of them.

"We'll finish … my lesson later?" she asked.

"That we will, lass."

The promise in his voice had very little to do with learning how to sail a ship.

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

The most beautiful thing she'd seen in Neverland, hands down, was the sight of Hook, anchored by her father, pulling Henry to safety from over the edge of a steep cliff. She saw the panic on David's face, the determination and pain on Hook's, and then — as she dodged a blade headed right for her head — the dirty, exhausted, scared, beautiful face of her son as he was pulled back over the edge.

He and Hook collapsed next to each other while David rolled to his feet to help her fight off the last of the Lost Ones who were determined to take Henry to their leader. She winced as she swung her sword around, wishing for the graceful skill of her father but doing the best she could. She promised herself for the hundredth time that she would ask David for lessons when they made it back to Storybrooke.

Again a sword flashed near her face, and she smiled grimly as a fireball from Gold or Regina crashed into her attacker, finishing him off.

That would be another handy skill to learn, if she got the chance.

She'd barely managed to take a breath before Henry barreled into her, arms around her, crying. "Mom!"

"Hey kid," she said, bending down into the hug. She suddenly realized that she was crying, too. "We got you."

After an all-too-short embrace, she handed him over to Regina and turned to look at Hook. He stood there, panting from the effort of saving Henry, and watched her son with a big smile on his face. She felt her heart actually stutter in her chest.

Before she could second-guess herself, she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He stiffened for a moment, then relaxed into her hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she whispered. "Hook, thank you so much."

She felt like she could thank him a thousand times, and it would never convey how she felt at the moment. His knowledge of Neverland had been invaluable. Gold had known some things, but only a pirate would know how to sneak up on the Lost Ones. Only a brave man would throw himself into a fight only for the sake of someone else. Only a good man would risk his safety to rescue her little boy.

She halfway expected some smart-ass comment from Hook, but he simply dipped his head toward her neck, pulling her tighter.

She had no idea how long they stood that way before she eased back slightly, hands moving to his cheeks. She realized she wanted to kiss him almost as much as she wanted oxygen, and she pushed herself up on her toes.

"Swan," he said hoarsely, "I think … I'm going to pass out."

"What?" She pulled back, hands dropping to his shoulders to steady him. "Are you hurt?"

He reached his hand around to his left side, and then she saw the blood.

"One of those bastards got me," he said weakly.

"Dad!" Emma yelled. "Mom! Help me!"

David was there in an instant, just in time to break Hook's fall.

* * *

It was an easy enough matter for Regina to heal his wound, and Henry seemed happy to see her using her magic to do something good for once.

As soon as he was back on his feet, Hook insisted that they make their way back to the ship, and nobody else disagreed. He led the way back, and Emma followed close behind, one arm looped around Henry. The boy was talking a mile a minute about his experience, but all she managed to understand was that Tamara and Greg had dumped him off with the Lost Ones and disappeared. She was a little disappointed not to have the chance to introduce Tamara to the pointy end of her sword, but her relief at having Henry back outweighed anything else.

They made it back more quickly than they'd come, because this time they weren't trying to take anyone by surprise. Regina had cloaked the Jolly Roger to keep it safe from prying eyes, and as soon as they boarded, Hook set sail.

Henry, tucked into her side, let loose a huge yawn, and Emma laughed. "Kiddo, I think it's past your bedtime."

"First, can I just … is it okay if I say something to Captain Hook?" he asked her quietly.

"Sure." She was surprised when he grabbed her hand and pulled her over with him.

"Mr. … Captain?" Henry sounded unsure.

Hook smiled down at him. "It's just Hook, my boy. Or Killian, if you'd prefer."

"I just wanted to thank you for saving me."

"Oh." Hook cleared his throat and looked a little embarrassed. "It was a team effort, lad. But … you're quite welcome."

Emma bit back a grin as Henry suddenly launched himself at Hook in one of his patented attack hugs. She remembered clearly the first time he'd hugged her that way, how her surprise had faded into affection for the kid. She watched the exact same emotions flit across the pirate's face and tried to ignore the fluttering in her belly at the sight.

"I was afraid to fall, but you said you wouldn't let go. And you didn't," Henry mumbled, sounding close to tears.

Hook looked a little stunned at the emotional display but ruffled her son's hair gently. "I always keep my promises, Henry," he said, but he was looking at her as he spoke.

They shared a smile, then Hook cleared his throat. "Now, to bed with you, as your Mom asked," he said. "You want to be sure to be awake later to meet the fairies."

"The fairies?" Henry's face lit up.

"Hook and Mr. Gold think they might be willing to help us get home," Emma explained. "But it'll be hours until we get there."

Henry made a show of complaining, but the kid was practically sleepwalking as she led him away.

Tucking him in was a family affair; everyone had to have a moment to wish him goodnight and give him another hug, but finally the room he was sharing with Emma emptied. She sat on the floor next to his bunk and watched him nod off.

Just when she thought he was asleep, heard him mumbling. "If you married Captain Hook, would I be a pirate?"

Fortunately, she was spared having to answer the question, followed a moment later by a snore.

tbc

**Note: Woohoo, we're nearing the end! Just one more near-miss to go before smoochies commence! Thanks so much for all the reviews, faves and follows. You guys are the best. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Being back in Storybrooke was both good and bad.

It was great to be home, with Henry safe, but it also was a little nerve-wracking to know Tamara and Greg were still at large, and there was some sort of group out there targeting magic. For now, the town was safe, and everyone was acting like the danger was over, but Emma couldn't help but feel that the threat was still hanging over them somehow.

And then there was Hook.

She sighed and sat back in her desk chair, thinking about the pirate. Things had changed while they were in Neverland. There was definitely something between them, but she wasn't sure what to think about it.

Okay, not true. She thought she wanted to have his mouth on hers. The problem was, that would definitely lead to Other Things. Other Things were great — she suspected "great" would be an understatement there — but there was the small matter of potential Feelings.

And Feelings were something she had some issues with.

Fortunately — yet also somewhat disappointingly — Hook seemed to be having similar doubts. At least, she assumed that's why he'd been deliberately avoiding her in the week they'd been home. He rarely ventured from his ship, and never when he thought she might be around. He'd come in to Granny's once when she'd been there, but after a nod in her direction, he'd disappeared back out the door without saying a word.

Emma stared blankly at the paperwork waiting patiently on her desk, brightening at the tone from her cell phone. She grinned at the text from Henry: _Hot choc at granny's?_

Regina had given him an iPhone as soon as they'd gotten back to Storybrooke. In theory, he would have it for emergencies, such as if he was being kidnapped by a couple of magic-hating nutjobs. In practice, it meant that he was calling and texting everyone in the family 20 times a day.

Emma knew he was with her father; they'd been having some "guy time," also known as sword fighting lessons. She eyed her pile of paperwork, deciding it could wait until tomorrow. It was hours past quitting time anyway, and she jumped at any chance to see Henry, to reassure herself that he was fine. _Deal_, she texted back.

It took her just a few minutes to get her things together and lock up, and since it was only a little cool out she decided to just walk to Granny's.

She heard him before she saw him.

Hook was walking — stumbling, really — just across the street from the diner, singing at the top of his lungs. He had a nice voice, actually, and he sang with a drunken enthusiasm of the lass he loved, who drowned in the sea.

"Cheery song," she said, jogging the last few feet and reaching out to steady him before he fell into a wall.

"Swan!" he said cheerily. "Swan, sing with me!"

"Yeah, no."

"It's a great song," he said.

"It's about someone's true love drowning, Hook."

He looked confused, then frowned at her. "That's a terrible thing."

She nodded solemnly. "Yeah, it blows. So, whatcha doing, Hook?"

He leaned carefully against the closest building, one hand settling at his belt. He scanned the nearly empty street as though looking for eavesdroppers. "I've been drinking a little," he said finally.

"A little?"

"A lot," he shrugged. "I think."

Before she could question him more, David came out of Granny's and jogged across the street. "You okay?"

"Prince Charming!" Hook cried. "I'm great, thank you for asking, mate."

"We're good," Emma jumped in before her dad could answer. "I've got this."

"She's got this," Hook said, raising his eyebrows and grinning. "Just need someone to … put me to bed."

"Emma," her father growled.

"It's fine, David," she said. "Just tell Henry I'll meet him at home in a few."

Her father looked uncertain, but after a scowl at Hook he returned to Granny's.

"Let's go, Hook," she said, taking his arm.

He shrugged and allowed her to lead him, a big smile on his face. "You are going to put me to bed, then? With a goodnight kiss?"

She instantly imagined him pressing her up against the door of his cabin, capturing her lips with his. Shaking her head, she sighed. _Don't even go there, Emma._

"Hey, do you know any other songs?" she asked to distract him.

* * *

He did, in fact, know a lot of other songs, and despite herself she was laughing as she finally herded him into his cabin on the Jolly Roger. He had such childlike enthusiasm as a drunken troubadour that it was hard not to be amused. Or to want to sing along.

She never would have imagined that the famous villain Captain Hook would be such a silly drunk, but it was a nice surprise.

"All right, Hook, it's time for bed."

"Finally, Swan. I've been waiting so long."

"To _sleep_, genius."

He frowned and sat on the bed. "It's much too early for sleep, love. I'm not even tired."

She heard that one from Henry all the time, and she knew just how to deal with it.

"Okay," she said. "How about you just lie back for a few minutes and we'll see if you can go to sleep."

"Why don't you join me?" It should have sounded like a come-on, but instead it struck her as someone who just didn't want to be alone. She knew that feeling all too well.

"Scoot over," she told him. He grinned and moved to the other side of the bed, rolling onto his side to face her as she stretched out beside him.

"Now just close your eyes and be quiet for a few minutes," she ordered, reaching a hand up and putting it over his eyes. He grabbed it with his hand and just held it, rubbing his thumb over hers.

"Hook—"

"Killian," he said quietly. "That's my name."

""Killian, you should sleep."

"Do you know what I see when I close my eyes? You." He scooted closer to her, just short of touching; she felt frozen in place by his eyes locked on hers. "You're beautiful. Smart, brave. You're the strongest woman I've ever met. A born pirate. Before … it was always _her_, Milah, but now I have trouble recalling her face. All I see is you."

She drew in a shaky breath, wondering what to say. She wondered if he even knew what he was saying to her. Would he remember it tomorrow?

"Emma, you're all I think about," he said, sighing. He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly.

Her heart was pounding so loud she thought he could probably hear it. Hell, all of Storybrooke could probably hear it. Once again, they were close enough to feel his breath on her face, on her mouth, and she leaned forward, brushing her lips just barely against his.

Her phone rang.

"Are you kidding me?" she yelled, rolling onto her back.

With a groan she pulled the phone out of her pocket and checked the display. It was Henry. It was probably nothing, but just in case of magic-hating kidnappers …

"Hey, Henry, what's up?" she answered, surprised and pleased that she managed not to sound homicidal.

"Are you with Killian?" he asked.

"Mmmm, yeah," she said, glancing at the pirate. He had rolled onto his back beside her and was rubbing his hand over his eyes. "He overdid it on the rum and needed some help getting home."

"Well, Gramps asked me to call you."

_I just bet he did._

"He wanted me to tell you he thinks we need milk and could you pick some up on your way home."

She sighed and shook her head. "Mary Margaret just bought a gallon this morning." As David knew perfectly well. "So I think we're good."

"Okay," Henry said cheerily. "See you soon?"

"See you, kid."

She hung up and turned back to Hook. "That was —"

Killian was fast asleep.

Of course.

Emma sighed and rolled carefully off the bed. She grabbed a nearby blanket and covered him up before leaving as quietly as she could.

This whole situation was getting way past ridiculous, she thought as she made her way home. How many almost-kisses could two people have? She wondered if maybe the universe was trying to tell them something.

Well, the universe … or David Nolan.

Hook's words echoed in her mind, _"Emma, you're all I think about."_

She shivered, and it had little to do with the cool air. With another sigh, she stopped in at Granny's. If she couldn't have a kiss, she was at least getting her damn hot chocolate.

tbc

**Note: All righty, folks! Just one more chapter left to go. I'm finally done torturing these two. LOL. The last part is essentially written, it just needs some tweaking before I'm ready to let it go. So it will be up soon. Thanks for all the nice reviews, etc.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites and follows. You guys are awesome! Now we finally take pity on Emma and Hook. I hope you enjoy the ending, too. :)**

* * *

Alone at last.

Emma sighed and pulled the refrigerator open, scanning the contents. She loved her family. She really loved them, but sometimes it was nice to just have some time to herself, especially when she had something on her mind.

"_Emma, you're all I think about."_

Groaning, she closed the fridge and wandered over to the couch, falling onto it and staring at the ceiling. David and Mary Margaret had taken Henry to the park. Though they'd invited her, she'd declined in favor of … obsessing over the previous night's near-miss kiss with a stupid pirate who may or may not have made her feel all shivery just by telling her that he thought about her all the time.

Stupid piratey jerk.

She growled and pushed herself up off the couch. This was just ridiculous. She was a grown woman, for pete's sake, and she was lolling around like a damn teenager with a crush. She should be down at the park, playing with her kid and spending time with her parents instead of wasting time here alone.

She grabbed her keys off the counter, crammed them in her pocket and pulled the door open, only to find a surprised-looking Hook standing there.

Stupid piratey stalkery jerk.

She tilted her head, waiting for him to say something. When it became apparent that that wasn't going to happen any time soon, she raised her eyebrows. "Um, hi?"

"Swan, I … can I?" he gestured at the apartment.

Stepping back, she waved him in.

He walked inside and turned to face her, fidgeting in place.

"So …"

"I know I had a bit much to drink last night," he said quietly, for once looking just over her shoulder rather than directly at her. "I don't know … I can't recall exactly what I've done, just bits and pieces, and I wanted to make sure I didn't say — I didn't say or do anything to … to offend you in any way."

_He doesn't even remember._

Emma sighed. All those things he'd said to her, and he didn't even remember them. He probably didn't mean it at all. It was ridiculous to think that she would be so much in his thoughts, not when he'd loved the same woman for 300 years.

"You didn't offend me," she said finally, not _quite_ answering the question he hadn't _quite_ asked. She forced a smile. "Just did a lot of singing."

"Ah," a faint smile crossed his face. "That was real, then."

"Oh yeah," she said lightly. "If I ever need to know a song about a sailor and/or his true love dying in horrible ways, I know who to go to."

He cleared his throat and glanced at the door. "Well, then. Good. I'm glad I … I'm glad. I guess I'll see you around, Swan."

"Sure."

_Emma Swan, you are a damn coward._

She frowned at his back as he headed out, then rolled her eyes. Unanswered questions just bugged the hell out of her, and she'd never have a better opportunity to ask.

"Hook … Killian."

He stopped but didn't turn all the way around, which suited her fine. She wasn't sure she could actually say this if he was looking at her.

"You said … you told me that I'm all you think about. Is that … was that just the booze talking?"

She held her breath as he turned slowly to face her.

He shook his head, finally meeting her eyes. "No, lass. It's the truth. You _are_ all I can think about these days."

She let out a long breath. _OK, Swan, go big or go home._

"I know the feeling. I … since Neverland I think about you all the time," she said. He started walking toward her, and she backed up slightly, rushing to get it all out. "Your smile, that thing you do with your eyebrows, your voice in my ear when you were teaching me to sail the ship, the fact that you _came back_. I'm not sure you understand how much that means to me. The fact that you … you held onto Henry and you didn't let go …"

She trailed off as he brought his hand to her cheek, curling his other arm behind her and pulling her close. "Emma," he whispered, brushing his lips against hers lightly before pulling back and looking around the apartment.

"What is it?"

"Just waiting," he whispered. "To see if the ceiling is going fall in on us, or one of your innumerable family members is going to show up."

She laughed, then tilted her head, listening. "I think we're all alone," she said.

"At last."

Then finally, finally, he dipped his head again and kissed her. It was soft, gentle, not what she would have expected of the pirate captain, and she slid her arms up to his shoulders, opened her mouth to his and sank into him.

He moved his other arm around her back and pulled her flush against him, sliding his lips down and over her neck, settling in just the right spot where her shoulder and neck met, drawing a moan out of her. Lord, the man had the most amazing mouth.

"_Killian_ … dammit."

At her sudden change of tone, he raised his head. "Swan? What …" He frowned as he heard it, too. The sound of Henry and David chattering to one another as they tromped up the stairs toward the still-very-open apartment door.

He growled. "Your —"

"Bloody. Family," she finished. "You know what? The hell with this."

She slid her fingers into his hair and pulled his face back to hers. "Kiss me, you damned pirate," she said.

"I love it when you get bossy, Swan," he said, covering her mouth with his again.

Even though she knew her family would appear in a few moments, she couldn't help but get lost in the feel of his lips and tongue on hers, his hand sliding up under her shirt and against the bare skin of her lower back.

"Ewww, gross," Henry said.

They pulled apart, but Emma stayed right next to him as she faced her family. Henry looked kind of freaked out, her father looked kind of pissed, and Mary Margaret … well, her mother was clearly holding back a laugh.

"I don't get kissing," Henry said. "What's the point?"

"Ask me that in a couple years, lad," Killian told him.

"Anyway," Henry shrugged. "We saw the captain going into our building, and Gramps thought you guys might want to come have ice cream with us at Granny's."

Clearly, the allure of a hot fudge sundae was more interesting than the whole "gross" kissing thing.

"Oh, he did?" Emma said, sending an overly-sweet smile her father's way. "How … nice of you."

"I …" David was apparently having trouble forming words, and Emma thought it served him right for deliberately trying to interfere in her practically nonexistent love life. She hoped he would be reliving the vision of his daughter being frenched by a pirate, over and over all night long.

She glanced at Mary Margaret, who mouthed "I'm so sorry!" before a giggle escaped. She tried to cover it with a cough, but David gave her a dirty look anyway.

Hook grinned and curled his arm around Emma's waist. "I've no idea what ice cream is," he said, glancing at her mouth in a way that David surely couldn't miss. "But I'm always interested in … new tastes."

"Hook," David said warningly, and Emma snorted out a very unladylike laugh.

"Awesome!" Henry said. "Maybe you could tell me some more Neverland stories?" He looked pleadingly at Killian.

"Of course I can," the pirate said cheerfully. "I've a thousand of them."

"Great," her father ground out. "That sounds … terrific."

"Go ahead," Emma told them. "We'll see you at Granny's in a minute."

"A few minutes," Killian corrected her.

"A few," she said, locking eyes with him, feeling a little breathless at the desire in his eyes.

"But —" David started to object and was overruled by his wife.

"That sounds fine, Emma," she said firmly, still a hint of laughter in her voice. "We'll see you when we get there."

Emma glanced over to see Mary Margaret had taken him by the arm and was actually pulling him out of the apartment, followed by Henry, who was loudly debating the virtues of a hot fudge sundae versus a banana split.

Mary Margaret smiled and winked at them before pulling the door closed behind her.

"So," Emma said, turning back to Killian and sliding her hands up his chest to his shoulders again. "I estimate that we have, oh, 30 seconds before we're interrupted again. Better make it good."

"Yes, ma'am," he answered.

And he certainly did.

THE END


End file.
